STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. - NEW SPRINGVILLE - Forest Hill Road can be a busy place during the day, but exactly how busy?

The Advance visited the street and monitored a section of it between Richmond Avenue and Richmond Hill Road on Monday afternoon and surveyed the high-volume of traffic during the afternoon.

The area has a posted speed limit of 30 miles per hour; it also includes two speed detection devices meant to help motorists monitor their speed.

In just a 10-minute span, 60 motorists traveled on Forest Hill, from Richmond Hill to Richmond, with just more than a third (21) of those cars driving more than five miles above the speed limit. Six cars traveled at 40 miles an hour or greater, with one reaching 50.

On the opposite side, closer to Richmond, the Advance watched nearly 30 cars roll by in a five-minute span. Only two traveled at speeds five miles higher than the speed limit.

Concerned residents of the street say that the traffic flow is consistently heavy, especially when school is in session. Public schools were closed Monday because of Rosh Hashanah.

While the vehicles move, it becomes difficult for many residents of neighboring housing complexes to exit their driveways to travel Forest Hill, said Robert Vaccaro, a resident since 1987.

"The real problem is exiting our development with the wall of traffic each morning and during rush hour," he said, noting it takes up to five minutes sometimes. "The volume of cars is incredible."

"One thing to do is to make another light to back up traffic, or put a stop sign," he said.

He added that straight roads are conducive to speeding.

Another nearby resident, who only provided his first name, Bill, said back-ups on the block for motorists traveling to and from Richmond can last up to 15 minutes.

"It's really crazy sometimes, and you never know when it's going to happen," he said, mentioning that on Monday afternoon, traffic moved without a problem.

Other Forest Hill residents backed up the other New Springville resident's point, with some focusing on speeding.

Dana Dowling, who lives on Forest Hill, explained that the speed devices are "useless."

She said two separate incidents resulted in her and her mother's car being smashed while parked on the street.

Ms. Dowling, the mother of a young daughter, also wants another traffic light to combat speeding drivers.

Anina Bettini and her son Clemente both agree that motorists ignore the speed detection devices on Forest Hill. Both, like Ms. Dowling, suggest a traffic light to prevent speeding.

They're trying to sell their home, but everybody that visits says the road is too busy.